United Launch Alliance and Aerojet Rocketdyne celebrated a milestone 60th anniversary on November 27th, commemorating the first launch of a Centaur liquid fueled upper stage launch powered by RL-10 engines.
The first launch ever of the powerful combination came on November 27, 1963, kicking off a storied history of the dependable rocket and engine combination that is in use to this day.
The observance of the anniversary came in the form of a media day event held on November 27th. The event was held at ULA’s Cape Canaveral facility, where the two companies proudly displayed a mockup model of the newest version of the RL-10 engine in front of two Centaur V upper stage flight units.
The Dual Engine Centaur and RL-10 engines will continue their legacy far into the future. The combination is set to serve as the upper stage for ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket utilizing the latest evolution of the combo, known as Centaur V. The Vulcan Centaur is set to debut on it’s first certification launch, known as “Cert-1” on Dec 24th from ULA’s pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The Dec. 24th launch is far more than a certification launch however, as the payload will be Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander. The lander is considered an essential preparatory step in NASA’s upcoming Artemis crewed moon landing program.
Jim Maus, Aerojet Rocketdyne’s VP of Program Execution and Integration, credited the RL-10’s newest upgrades and new additive manufacturing process involving 3D printing with both cutting costs costs & increasing production rates. According to Maus, Aerojet Rocketdyne has an order backlog of over 150 RL-10’s, a testament to the popularity and reliability of the engine design.
In reflecting on the hundreds of launches accomplished with the RL-10, Maus said “When we go to launch day, we’re very focused on that day’s launch,” Maus said. “And so, when you come to a big milestone, you kind of stand back and recognize, you know, look at all that we’ve done. So, it’s great to be part of the team that does that and we’re really thrilled to be at 60 years.”
